The low down on paint brands!

So I bought a small starter kit from Sillyfarm, and I am still waiting for it. I keep seeing posts regarding which paints are better than others. Anyone willing to give a list of colors and where they get them from? As many as you can think of would be greatly appreciated. I am going to start with solid colors then work my way to the rainbow cakes. Who makes the best rainbow cakes?

Thanks for the help,
Barb

I had snaz to start with but it is not the best. Wolf, DFX and Tag are all from the same factory as i am sure you have red. I personally Love DFX. I have turned 2 local face painters here away from wolfe to DFX after they tried my colors. That being said i do still have some colors from other lines. In my opinion DFX black and white are the best. I use Wolfe red and a rainbow cake from silly farm with wolfe in it. I like the wolfe greens, the DFX pinks. and I also use some paradise pinks purple and blues for a base. When i stared, instead of expanding my colors i inverted in a pallet through each place. I bought a Wolfe, a paradise and a DFX, I am waiting on a kryolan now. It helped me Alot to know what I liked. since each brand and even some colors in each brand need diffrent amounts of water for the right consistency and lay down different I like to test for myself.

Everyone has a different opinion on this. You need to try them to see what works best for you. I use only Snaz because I'm allergic to many of the popular face paints and can't stand the fragrances in the others.

I've been using DFX and Tag... I started out with a small Snaz sampler and liked it.

Now I'm trying to figure out what to do about the DFX and TAG feeling tight on kids faces...

Someone recommended Paradise... sheesh... I just spent an arm on a huge (to me) order of TAGS (great prices, Metina!)
.. laugh I LOVE them... and Metina!! grin

I need a few colors for kids bases, I think... I'm leaning towards Paradise... and maybe... Snaz...

Sorry I'm not more informative....

I use Snaz a lot. It lasts longest for me and it is easy to use. However, Wolfe and DFX white and black are my favorite for lines, dots etc. I have some Wolfe metallics that work very well and show up boldly. I have heard a lot about the Tag pearls and have ordered purple to try as it seems to be a favorite of others.

I am trying to sample all the paints so I can to find my own favorites. I have been using a DFX palette this week and am enjoying it for details. It goes on so smoothly with a brush. I suggest you buy a small palette of each to sample the brands. As you can of course, it will get expensive if you get them all at once. Every artist is diff. and what one enjoys the other won't. Hope you find what you like.

I pretty much stick to Snaz, although I found the purple horrid, it just wont lay right, seems like the pigment breaks up..maybe I got a lemon, not sure. And the silver isn't great either. I do like to mix it with other colors for a shimmery base, but after it's out I won't buy it again. The wolfe or dfx white n black for linework, however snaz is good for base, and the black does good linework as well.
I think it boils down to preference, I like the way snaz works, I am a creature of habit. It's just the easiest for me to use.

Oh, I forgot about the snaz purple, Eva. I used the light purple as a base for a tiger face and I did have a problem getting an even cover. It turned out lovely but was tricky. But I do like the dark for swirls and such.

the snaz sparkles are pretty but a little less opaque

I've tried everything and have basically found that quality and cost effectively, a mix of Paradise and Tag are best. I would start with Paradise essential and Tag Pearls. When you've done that, you really will have a complete kit considering all the stuff going around about neons right now.

I love my wolfe colors, i'm not really savvy with any other brand as I just started. Now, I don't know if it's me, but I do find that my wolfe white isn't as bright as I would like it to be. I love my silly farm rainbow cakes. My favorite rainbow cake is actually the neon one from wolfe, but now i'm afraid to use it!

what is going on about neons???

About neons not being safe for use on skin, not being FDA approved. But... after searching the forums and getting some info, I feel a bit better about the whole neon thing! Search NEONS, you'll find it there. I'm not sure yet how to link the thread onto my message, I too am a newbie! LOL!

Because Neons are "not approved for cosmetic use", you take a risk by using them on a client. Both DFX and I believe TAG have warning labels and presently there are people working towards getting all Neons labelled. If a client has a reaction they can sue you even if you have liability insurance (your insurance company will not cover you because of the warning label). It's basically use at your own risk.
I'm probably going to do what a few people have suggested and only use Neons on adults who sign a waiver. The TAG Pearl rainbow will replace my Neon rainbow in my kit:)

This is the current topic on Neons:
http://www.facepaintforum.com/t5104-oh-no-tag-neons

What a bummer, I just ordered another neon cake. They are so pretty.

I use most brands. I have predominately Kryolan and Snaz in my kit, with some Grimas, Wolfe, Funky Foxes and a couple colours of DFX. I also use Fardel and Tim Gratton for bodypainting.

Everyone has their favourites for whatever reasons... ease of cleaning, smell, creaminess, cost, colour choice, blendability... etc.

Basically trial and error is the best way to figure out what you like. Each brand has their own "optimum" method of application so sometimes if you are used to one brand and try out another it "doesn't work"... but is just a matter of getting the hand of that particular brand.